Frozen Strawberries linked to hepatitis A outbreak

Hepatitis A virus is causing an inflammatory disease of the liver. Hepatitis A is a contagious liver disease that results from a hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection. According to the FDA, illness occurs within 15 to 50 days of exposure and symptoms include yellowing skin and eyes, fatigue, abdominal pain, dark urine and pale stools. People who are at higher risk to be infected with hepatitis A virus include those men who have sex with men, that use illegal drugs, people who live with individuals that have the disease, and people who travel to developing countries and those who used a lot of frozen products in their daily life.

The Food and Drug Administration has issued a nationwide recall on frozen strawberries and strawberry products, because it is based on reports of hepatitis A detected. In many developed countries frozen strawberries are removed from stores and no longer being served, and also recalled that used only fresh strawberry not frozen.

Imported frozen strawberries causing an outbreak of hepatitis A from Egypt which has sickened 55 people in six states.In Virginia, Health authorities confirmed 44 total infections where the outbreak first appeared, and additional infections in West Virginia (4), North Carolina (1), Oregon (1), Wisconsin & Maryland (4).

According to that state’s Department of health, about half of the 44 infected Virginians have been hospitalized. In early May through August,their symptoms began but health authorities did not develop the theory of a common source of infection until this month.Their age lies from 15 to 68. The Virginia Department of Health originally connected the infection to smoothies, which contained the imported berries, served at Tropical Smoothie.

According to CDC report almost all those who became sick purchased smoothies in a limited region including Virginia and neighboring states. The one ill person in Oregon had traveled to Virginia.There are between 1,700 and 2,800 cases of the highly contagious virus each year in the United States, according to the CDC.

In majority, children who become infected with hepatitis A show no signs of illness, according to the CDC, though more than 80% of adults will experience symptoms. Patients are protected against reinfection for life, once they recovered from their illnesses. In United States, rate of Hepatitis A have declined by 95% since a vaccine became available in 1995, according to the CDC. From 2014, its most recent data showed a total of 1,239 cases for all 50 states, a 30.4% decrease from the previous year.

The European center for Disease Prevention and Control reported 89 probable cases in 14 countries between November 1, 2012, and April 30, 2013 and 15 confirmed cases of hepatitis A infections. All 104 of these cases were linked to travel to Egypt.

The Food and Drug Administration, several state departments of health and CDC are continuing to investigate the outbreak.